Key findings:

• Almost half of respondents had worried about food running out (45%) before there was money to buy more;

• More than one-third of respondents (37%) had cut down meal sizes or skipped meals because there wasn’t enough money for food;

• One-third of respondents (34%) considered fresh fish unaffordable, while one-fifth (21%) considered fresh fruit to be unaffordable;

• Half of respondents were in employment (full-time, part-time or self-employed);

• Of those in full-time or part-time employment (45%), 35% of those couldn’t afford to eat balanced meals.

The survey findings demonstrate the broad spectrum of issues people are having with accessing and affording food. People who are worrying about their food bill completed the survey through to people who are consistently making sacrifices about the quality and quantity of the food they eat. Crucially, the findings show that working people are also routinely struggling to afford food and are cutting down meal sizes or skipping meals because they simply do not have the money they need to buy food.

You can find out more about the survey and download the report from the CAS website: